Dr. Ammar Bayrakdar specializes in adult endocrinology and practices in Evergreen Park, IL, Hickory Hills, IL, and Maywood, IL. Patients gave him an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. He is especially interested in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and diabetes. Dr. Bayrakdar is an in-network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, CIGNA Plans, and Humana HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. He attended the University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine and then went on to complete his residency at Saint Joseph Hospital, Chicago. He has received the following distinction: Chicago Super Doctors. Dr. Bayrakdar is conversant in Arabic. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, Loyola Outpatient Center (LOC), and Little Company of Mary Health Providers Network. Dr. Bayrakdar's practice is open to new patients.

Dr. Farah Hasan's area of specialization is adult endocrinology. Her areas of expertise consist of thyroid problems and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Hasan accepts Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, Humana Catastrophic, and more. She attended the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine for medical school and subsequently trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto for residency. Dr. Hasan is professionally affiliated with The University of Chicago Medicine.

Dr. Jyothsna Palla's specialty is adult endocrinology. Before completing her residency at John Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Dr. Palla attended medical school at Kakatiya Medical College. Dr. Palla is an in-network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, TRICARE, and more. Dr. Palla (or staff) is conversant in Urdu, Telugu, and Arabic. Her hospital/clinic affiliations include Little Company of Mary Hospital and Palos Hospital. New patients are welcome to contact her office for an appointment.

Dr. Abdallah Altarshan is an adult endocrinology specialist. Areas of expertise for Dr. Altarshan include diabetes. His professional affiliations include Little Company of Mary Health Providers Network and Palos Hospital. Dr. Altarshan attended the University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine for medical school and subsequently trained at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago for residency. He is an in-network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and United Healthcare HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Altarshan is accepting new patients.

Dr. Priya Raju is a nephrologist. In her practice, Dr. Raju focuses on lupus nephritis, glomerulonephritis, and hypertension (high blood pressure). She accepts Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, TRICARE, and more. Before completing her residency at Rush University Medical Center, Dr. Raju attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. Dr. Raju (or staff) speaks the following foreign languages: Igbo, French, and Gujarati. Dr. Raju is affiliated with Little Company of Mary Health Providers Network and Palos Hospital. She has an open panel.

Dr. Edmund Vizinas sees patients in Chicago, IL. His medical specialty is general internal medicine. Patients rated Dr. Vizinas highly, giving him an average of 4.0 stars out of 5. These areas are among his clinical interests: diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and arthritis. He is professionally affiliated with Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook, Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, and Adventist Medical Center La Grange. He takes Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and United Healthcare PPO, in addition to other insurance carriers. He graduated from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Vizinas is conversant in Lithuanian.

Dr. Igor Altman is a physician who specializes in family medicine, vein disease (phlebology), and wound care. Dr. Altman (or staff) is conversant in Russian and Ukrainian. Dr. Altman's areas of expertise include lymphedema. He is professionally affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) and Little Company of Mary Hospital. He obtained his medical school training at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB), College of Osteopathic Medicine and performed his residency at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. He is in-network for Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, Humana Catastrophic, and more.

Dr. Donald Woznica's area of specialization is family medicine. His areas of expertise include disorders of calcium metabolism, thyroid problems, and adolescent issues. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Woznica accepts. Dr. Woznica attended medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. For his residency, Dr. Woznica trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Woznica is conversant in Spanish. He is professionally affiliated with Adventist Health Partners (AHP), Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, and Adventist Medical Center La Grange.

Dr. Walter Rudek specializes in general internal medicine and practices in Chicago, IL. After completing medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Autonomous University of Guadalajara Faculty of Medicine, he performed his residency at MacNeal Hospital. In his practice, Dr. Rudek focuses on diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). He is an in-network provider for Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, Humana Catastrophic, and more. He speaks Polish. Dr. Rudek is professionally affiliated with Adventist Health Partners (AHP), Adventist Medical Center La Grange, and Adventist Health Network (AHN).

Dr. Richard Dejong works as a family practice physician in Chicago, IL and Flossmoor, IL. Dr. Dejong is especially interested in primary care and diabetes. Patients gave him an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. He accepts Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, and Humana Catastrophic, in addition to other insurance carriers. After attending Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, he completed his residency training at MacNeal Hospital. Dr. Dejong is affiliated with Palos Hospital and The University of Chicago Medicine.

Dr. Wayne Williamson is a general internist and geriatrician. Dr. Williamson's areas of expertise consist of diabetes, heart problems, and hypertension (high blood pressure). He is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and Aetna, as well as other insurance carriers. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and then he performed his residency at Rush University Medical Center. He is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. He has an open panel.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid Shahbain specializes in general internal medicine and practices in Palos Heights, IL. Clinical interests for Dr. Shahbain include well woman gynecology, cancer screening, and cardiac risk reduction. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and Workers' Compensation. His education and training includes medical school at Ross University School of Medicine and residency at West Suburban Medical Center. In addition to English, he speaks Arabic. Dr. Shahbain's professional affiliations include Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, Adventist Medical Center La Grange, and Little Company of Mary Hospital. He is accepting new patients.

Dr. Robert Kash's medical specialty is general internal medicine. He is rated highly by his patients. Dr. Kash's areas of expertise include thyroid problems, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), and atrial fibrillation. He is professionally affiliated with Adventist Health Partners (AHP) and Adventist Medical Center La Grange. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE. Before performing his residency at a hospital affiliated with Loyola University, Dr. Kash attended Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine.

Dr. Kimberly Johnson's specialty is family medicine. Clinical interests for Dr. Johnson include diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and weight management. She honors several insurance carriers, including Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, and Humana Catastrophic. She is a graduate of Rush Medical College and a graduate of Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center's residency program. She is affiliated with Little Company of Mary Health Providers Network. Dr. Johnson is open to new patients.

Dr. Joyce Chen practices family medicine. Dr. Chen accepts Humana HMO, Humana Bronze, and Humana Catastrophic, in addition to other insurance carriers. She graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. For her professional training, Dr. Chen completed a residency program at MacNeal Hospital. Dr. Chen is conversant in Spanish. She is professionally affiliated with Little Company of Mary Health Providers Network. She is open to new patients.

Endocrinology is a medical specialty that deals with glands and hormones. Hormones are substances that act like chemical messengers between parts of the body. They are produced by glands, and travel in the bloodstream throughout the body where they act on different organs and cells to affect many different functions of life. Hormones control our appetite, growth, reproduction, and energy. When there is too little or too much of a hormone, an endocrinologist can help restore the balance.

Endocrinology problems are sometimes difficult and complex because hormones travel throughout the body and can affect more than one system. A single, simple imbalance can produce multiple, very different symptoms. Just a few of the diverse diseases treated by an endocrinologist include:

Diabetes (where insulin is not produced in the body or is not working well, and blood sugar levels rise, which damages tissues)

Hypothyroidism (where thyroid hormones are not produced well, reducing cell metabolism and energy)

Precocious Puberty (where reproductive hormones are produced too early in a child’s life)

Gigantism (where growth hormones are overproduced, leading to unusual size)

Endocrinology can contain subspecialties where physicians focus their care on specific groups of patients. For example, some endocrinologists are diabetic endocrinologists who know specifically how to care for diabetics’ particular needs in eye care, circulation, and foot care. Pediatric endocrinologists treat children. Whatever their subspecialty, all endocrinologists have the same goal: restoring balance when the body’s messaging system is not working correctly.

Hormones are chemicals that are produced by the body and flow through the bloodstream. They control a number of important functions, including growth, metabolism, and sexual development. Doctors that treat hormonal problems are called endocrinologists, and endocrinologists that work with children are pediatric endocrinologists.

Pediatric endocrinologists treat children of all ages, from newborn babies to young adults. Because hormones affect growth and sexual development, endocrine disorders affect children and teens very differently than they do adults. Some disorders, such as precocious (early) puberty, only affect children. Some endocrine disorders have different symptoms in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. A pediatric endocrinologist must be aware of how hormonal problems specifically affect children’s health and development.

Diabetes, a disease caused by problems with the hormone insulin, is the most common disorder treated by pediatric endocrinologists. Other issues include:

Growth disorders, which prevent children from growing or maturing as expected

Thyroid disease

Pituitary or adrenal disorders

Sex hormone disorders, where the body produces either too little or too much of the hormones that affect puberty and sexual development

Unexplained obesity

Intersex, a group of conditions that make a person's sex unclear

Vitamin D deficiency

Problems with calcium metabolism

Treatment for transgender children, who feel they do not match the gender associated with their external genitalia (many, but not all, pediatric endocrinology offices provide this service)

For most endocrine disorders, treatment involves medication taken to either supplement or suppress certain hormone levels.

Since hormones control so many functions within the body and are so crucial during the early stages of life, an endocrine disorder can be devastating for a child. Pediatric endocrinologists help get your child’s hormones back in balance.

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What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, or simply 'diabetes,' is a disease where levels of sugar in the blood become dangerously high. When food is eaten, the body converts it into a form of sugar called glucose that can be used by cells in the body for energy. An organ called the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin that acts like a key, ‘unlocking’ cell walls so that glucose can be absorbed and used. When something in this process goes wrong, and glucose builds up to dangerous levels, diabetes happens.

There are a couple of different types of diabetes, depending on what is causing glucose levels to rise.

Type 1 diabetes happens when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Usually diagnosed in childhood, this type used to be called juvenile diabetes. It affects about 5% of all diabetics. We don’t know what causes the pancreas to shut down, but it is thought that a virus might trigger an immune reaction, where the body attacks and destroys the pancreas by mistake. People who have relatives with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have it themselves.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the cell walls do not recognize the insulin produced very well, called insulin resistance. The pancreas can still produce insulin, but it is not effective at lowering blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes is strongly linked to being overweight. However, not everyone who is overweight will get type 2 diabetes, and not everyone who has type 2 diabetes is overweight. Other risk factors include age, race, and a family history of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that happens in the last half of pregnancy. Women with gestational diabetes generally do not have diabetes before or after they are pregnant. The placenta produces hormones that block the action of insulin in the mother’s body. For about 18% of women, their pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to keep up with the increased demands and they become diabetic while pregnant. High blood sugar levels can be dangerous to the developing fetus, causing complications such as high birth weight, low blood sugar and jaundice, so it is important to treat gestational diabetes even if it only lasts a few weeks.

Many people currently living with diabetes do not know it yet, since mild diabetes has few or no symptoms. As blood sugar levels rise over time, symptoms begin to appear. Some include:

thirst

fatigue

frequent urination

unexplained weight loss

blurred vision

A simple blood test in the doctor’s office can diagnose diabetes.

Treatment depends on the type and severity of diabetes. Most people with type 1 diabetes rely on insulin injections to survive. Some people with type 2 or gestational diabetes also take insulin, or they may take oral medications or control their blood sugar with diet and exercise. It’s important for all diabetics to monitor their blood sugar daily so they can stay healthy.

If diabetes is not treated well, it can be dangerous, damaging the eyes, nerves, and kidneys, and leading to heart disease and the loss of limbs. However, if it is well managed, diabetes does not have to limit your life. Keeping diabetes under good control is the best way to enjoy a long and healthy life.